Pandas' Bamboo Food May Be Lost to Climate Change

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Though they are one of the most beloved animal species on Earth,
pandas aren't safe from the devastating effects of climate
change.

According to a new study, projected temperature increases in
China over the next century will likely seriously hinder bamboo,
almost the sole source of food for endangered
pandas. Only if bamboo can move to new habitats at higher
elevations will pandas
stand a chance, the researchers said.

However, if conservation programs wait too long, human
inhabitants and activities could claim all of the new habitats
capable of supporting
bamboo in a warming world.

"It is tough, but I think there's still hope, if we take action
now," said research team member Jianguo Liu, a sustainability
scientist at Michigan State University. "If we wait, then we
could be too late."

The researchers used various climate-change models to project the
future for three bamboo species relied on by pandas in the
Qinling Mountain region of China, which represents about a
quarter of the total remaining panda habitat. These models varied
in their specific predictions, but each forecasted some level of
temperature rise within the coming century.

The results suggest that if the bamboo is restricted to its
current distribution area, between 80 and 100 percent of it will
disappear by the end of the 21st century, because it won't be
able to grow under the increased temperatures. [ How Pandas Pick
the Perfect Spot to Pee ]

If, however, bamboo can move into new, cooler areas (which will
reach the same temperatures as current bamboo habitats due to
warming), then there is hope. However, that all still depends on
the extent to which humans can curtail climate change by limiting
greenhouse-gas emissions in the future.

"All the models are quite consistent — the general trend is the
same," Liu told LiveScience. "The difference is the degree of the
changes. Even with very hopeful scenarios, where we allow bamboo
to go anywhere it wants, there are still very severe
consequences. Of course, if the bamboo has nowhere to go, then
the panda habitat will be lost more quickly."

Many pandas in the wild currently live in nature reserves
protected from human encroachment. However, almost all of the
land encompassed by those reserves will be unsuitable for the
bamboo if the temperatures rise as predicted.

But if conservationists plan ahead now to move those reserves in
line with changing bamboo habitats, then it may be possible to
preserve the land the pandas will need.

And climate change is not the only
challenge facing giant pandas, one of the most endangered
species in the world, researchers say. Human activities have
already severely limited the animals' habitats, and their
dependence on a single source of food, one that's not that
nutrient- or energy-rich, doesn't help.

In addition to their native habitats in China, pandas live around
the world in zoos and breeding centers. But Liu doesn't predict a
bright future for the bears if they lose their wild habitats.

"To really protect pandas, you cannot just stick [them] into a
breeding center or a zoo," he said, noting that the animals'
genetic diversity would suffer, among other issues. "That's not a
long-term solution."

The results of the study are published in the Nov. 11 issue of
the journal Nature Climate Change.